Former chiropractor, drug trafficker, denied medical license

After completing a 40-month incarceration for felony drug charges, successful probationary period and substance abuse , a former Marion doctor will not be permitted to practice chiropractic medicine, at least, not for a while.

According to official meeting documents, Jeffrey Kopp's application to be re-certified as a chiropractor was denied by Iowa Board of Chiropractic on April 28. The board declared that Kopp would have to reapply again if he wanted to be reinstated, which would be considered at the next board meeting in October.

Kopp lost his license after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to money launder on March 12, 2008.

Kopp, 55, moved to Iowa in 2005 and began a chiropractor practice in 2006. The documents say that Kopp and his family “experienced financial difficulties” after their arrival and that the doctor became involved in drug trafficking to make ends meet.

In 2006, Kpp “was in the midst of losing his home in Iowa due to his financial circumstances. (Kopp) agreed to receive two trucks with 600 pounds of marijuana packed in them… (Kopp) received a Fed Ex package at his Marion, Iowa chiropractic office containing $40,000 in cash as payment for the marijuana delivery.”

Kopp was arrested near the border of North Dakota and Canada and ultimately, he and four others were found guilty of moving more than 8,000 pounds of marijuana worth more than $3.5 million in a period of just two years.

Amid his criminal charges, Kopp lost his chiropractic certification in November, 2009.

The board declined to reinstate his license saying that “the basis for the indefinite suspension of (Kopp)'s license no longer exists or that it is in the public interest for his license to be reinstated at this time.”

Furthermore, the board said that if financial difficulties were the cause of the criminal and unethical behavior, they were not convinced that Kopp would violate the law again.